by Jeff Olson, Special for USA TODAY Sports

by Jeff Olson, Special for USA TODAY Sports

Homestead, Fla. - It wrecked a championship bid, flared tempers and ended with a nationally televised brawl complete with slow-motion footage from a helicopter.

It was the snub that got to Joey Logano.

On Friday, Logano, Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer addressed Sunday's crash and brawl at Phoenix that eliminated Bowyer from competition, took Logano out of the race and cost Gordon $100,000 and 25 points.

Logano, an innocent bystander in Gordon's revenge for earlier dust-ups, said Friday that Gordon hung up on him when he tried to call for an apology.

"I reached out for an apology and didn't get one," Logano said Friday after winning the pole position for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. "I got hung up on. I was a little frustrated with that, but he did text me later."

Gordon said he regretted the incident but still blamed Bowyer for putting him in position to lose his temper.

"The thing I regret and the thing that I messed up on is that I allowed my anger and my emotions to put me in a position to make a bad choice," Gordon said. "I feel like Clint needed to be dealt with, but that wasn't the right way to go about it, and certainly not the right time."

Gordon spun Bowyer after the two tangled Sunday at Phoenix. The crash, which put Bowyer out of contention for the championship, led to a brawl between crew members in the infield.

While Gordon and Logano talked to reporters about the incident Friday, Bowyer wasn't as receptive. When asked how long it will take to get over it, Bowyer said, "It'll be awhile."

Gordon said he should have let the incident go, but lost his temper because of previous incidents with Bowyer. Gordon vacillated between apology and reiteration of his anger during a press conference intended to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Gordon's signing with Hendrick Motorsports.

"I look back and wish I had done things differently," Gordon said. "All I can do now is to look forward and come in here and do the best I can to close out the season on a positive note."

Rick Hendrick defended his driver, who was fined $100,000 and docked 25 points for the incident.

"You've got to go with the emotions that happened at that time," Hendrick said. "There were a lot of things that happened along the way. This guy has as much right to race for fifth or sixth in the points as somebody has the right to race for second. I stand behind him no different than if my son got in trouble for a bully beating up on him and he stood up for himself."

Gordon acknowledged that retaliation is a possibility during Sunday's Ford EcoBoost 400, but said he felt like he made his point with the Phoenix crash.

"I don't think they're going to be messing with me anytime soon," Gordon said. "I think that message has been sent loud and clear."

Logano declined to elaborate on Gordon's reaction to his call, saying only, "Everything beside that is between Jeff and I," he said. "We're going to be able to go out there and figure it out ourselves. We're big boys, and we can do it."